Pressure relief valve

Abstract

A pressure relief valve of the type primarily designed to regulate the flow of fluid generally in the form of air and its rate of flow and capability of being utilized in combination with a sphygmomano-meter assembly whereby flow of fluid from the sphyg head is accomplished at a predetermined rate and is selectively regulated by manual manipulation of the valve assembly. A valve housing is movably mounted therein and a valve block which is disposed to establish fluid communication from a sphyg head or point of use of the fluid through a metered port so as to establish a flow path for the fluid exiting from the valve assembly at a predetermined rate.

Now that the invention has been described, what is claimed is: 
     
       1. A valve assembly of the type primarily designed for control of fluid flow to and from a point of use, said valve assembly comprising: a housing including fluid conduit means disposed in fluid communicating relation between said housing and a fluid source and a point of fluid use; cylinder means formed in said housing and disposed in fluid communication with said conduit means; valve block means movably disposed within said cylinder means; fluid flow path means comprising a first and second path of fluid flow disposed in spaced apart relation to one another formed in said valve block means and disposable in interconnecting relation with said conduit means; and a fluid exit assembly formed at least in part on said valve block means and disposed in fluid communication between the exterior of said valve assembly and said second path of fluid flow, said valve block means being movable into and out of fluid communicating position between said conduit means and both said first and second paths of fluid flow and said fluid exit assembly, said fluid exit assembly further comprising aperture means having a predetermined dimension, whereby flow of fluid from said valve assembly is metered dependent upon the predetermined dimension of said aperture means. 
     
     
       2. A valve assembly as in claim 1 further comprising relief valve means formed in said valve block and disposable in fluid communication with said fluid conduit means. 
     
     
       3. A valve assembly as in claim 2 wherein said relief valve means comprises a relief port, and seal means disposed in fluid sealing engagement with said relief port between said relief port and said fluid conduit means. 
     
     
       4. A valve assembly as in claim 3 further comprising a push knob rotationally connected to said valve block and disposable for positioning said sealing means into and out of sealing engagement with said relief port, whereby rotation of said push knob relative to said valve block serves to dispose said sealing means into and out of sealing relation to said relief port. 
     
     
       5. A valve assembly as in claim 1 wherein said fluid conduit means comprises a first conduit disposed between a fluid source and said valve block and a second conduit disposed in fluid communication between a point of fluid use and said valve block. 
     
     
       6. A valve assembly as in claim 1 further comprising check valve means disposed in fluid regulating position in said fluid conduit means between the source of fluid and said cylinder, whereby fluid is allowed to flow in one direction only from the exterior of said housing to said valve block. 
     
     
       7. A valve assembly as in claim 2 wherein said first path of fluid flow is disposable in fluid communication between said relief valve means and said fluid conduit means, and wherein said second path of fluid flow is disposable in fluid communication between said fluid exit assembly and said fluid conduit means, said valve block means being movable selectively to establish fluid communication between said fluid conduit means and either of said first and second paths of fluid flow, whereby fluid may selectively exit said valve assembly through said relief valve means and said fluid exit assembly. 
     
     
       8. A valve assembly as in claim 7 wherein each of said first and second path of fluid flow comprise a substantially curvilinear path extending at least in part about the outer peripheral surface of said valve block, each of said curvilinear paths disposed in spaced apart relation to one another and each movable into fluid communication with said fluid conduit means, whereby said relief valve means and said fluid exit assembly are selectively disposable into fluid communication with said fluid conduit means by positioning of said first and second flow paths, respectively. 
     
     
       9. A valve assembly as in claim 8 wherein a first fluid channel is disposed between said first fluid flow path and said relief valve, said first fluid channel formed at least in part on the interior of said valve block and integral therewith. 
     
     
       10. A valve assembly as in claim 9 further comprising a second fluid channel disposed between said second fluid flow path and said fluid exit means, said second fluid channel formed at least in part on the interior of said valve block and integral therewith and further disposed out of fluid communication with said first fluid channel. 
     
     
       11. A valve assembly as in claim 8 further comprising a plurality of sealing elements mounted on said valve block and disposed in spaced relation to one another and in sealing engagement between the outer surface of said valve block and the inner wall surface of said cylinder. 
     
     
       12. A valve assembly as in claim 11 wherein two of said plurality of sealing elements are disposed in spaced relation to one another and on opposite sides of each of said first and second fluid flow paths, one other of said plurality of sealing elements disposed on said valve body in sealing engagement between said first and second fluid flow paths, said first and second fluid flow paths thereby disposed in fluid segregated relation to one another. 
     
     
       13. A valve assembly as in claim 1 wherein said fluid exit assembly comprises orifice block means disposed contiguous one end of said valve block means and including said aperture means comprising exit port means formed therein, whereby fluid issues therefrom at a predetermined rate. 
     
     
       14. A valve assembly as in claim 13 wherein said fluid exit assembly further comprises closing disc means disposed contiguous one end of said cylinder means in spaced apart relation to said orifice block means and bias means disposed between said closing disc means and said one end of said valve block means, said valve block means being biased toward the other end of said cylinder means and in fluid communication between one of said first and second paths of fluid flow and said conduit means.